Israel steps up Gaza attacks amid renewed ceasefire push

At slightest 8 radical person been killed successful an Israeli onslaught connected a schoolhouse sheltering displaced Palestinians successful bluish Gaza, arsenic Israel sent respective elder officials for talks connected a imaginable ceasefire.

An Israeli onslaught connected Saturday deed the Zainab al-Wazir schoolhouse successful bluish Gaza’s Jabalia al-Balad area, sidesplitting 8 civilians, including 2 women and 2 children, according to the Palestinian civilian exigency service.

“The Israelis person targeted america without immoderate anterior warning,” a parent told Al Jazeera, arsenic she searched done the debris. “They attacked america with a missile. I don’t cognize wherever our children are. I don’t cognize thing astir them, whether they’re wounded oregon killed.”

Al Jazeera’s Moath al-Kahlout described the scenes astatine al-Ahli Hospital successful Gaza City, wherever dozens of the wounded were taken, arsenic “bloody” and “dire”, noting the dearth of aesculapian supplies nether Israel’s ongoing siege of bluish Gaza, which has been successful spot for much than 80 days.

Later connected Saturday, the authoritative Palestinian quality bureau Wafa reported strikes connected assorted locations crossed Gaza, including an onslaught connected a location successful the Daraj neighbourhood successful Gaza City, which killed 4 Palestinians and wounded respective others.

Israeli combatant jets besides bombed a structure sheltering displaced families successful Deir el-Balah, located successful the centre of the enclave, sidesplitting 3 people, Wafa reported.

Additional strikes reportedly killed 1 idiosyncratic adjacent the Bureij exile camp, besides successful cardinal Gaza, and different successful the confederate municipality of Khan Younis.

The intensified attacks came arsenic Egypt, Qatar and the United States made renewed efforts to scope a woody to halt warring successful Gaza and escaped remaining Israeli captives successful speech for Palestinian prisoners held successful Israeli jails.

‘Tough sticking points’

On Saturday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met President-elect Donald Trump’s incoming peculiar envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, who had travelled to Qatar earlier successful the week.

Witkoff had reassured Egyptian and Qatari mediators that the US would proceed to enactment towards a just woody to extremity the warfare soon, said Egyptian information sources cited by quality bureau Reuters.

After the meeting, Netanyahu dispatched a high-level delegation, including the caput of the Israeli Mossad quality agency, to Qatar successful bid to “advance” talks, according to a connection from Netanyahu’s office.

“There are a batch of moving parts here,” said Al Jazeera’s Hamdah Salhut, reporting from the Jordanian capital, Amman.

“Donald Trump said that helium would beryllium rather assertive successful trying to get a ceasefire if it didn’t hap earlier helium took bureau … But you person to retrieve that determination are pugnacious sticking points connected each side,” she said.

“The Israelis accidental that they’re not going to extremity the war, and Hamas says that they privation to spot a broad ceasefire that sees an extremity to the warfare and a withdrawal of Israeli troops.

“And you besides person the Israeli public, which is perpetually demonstrating against Benjamin Netanyahu, against the Israeli government, saying that he’s neither susceptible nor consenting to marque a woody 15 months into this war,” she said.

Israelis protestation against the government, showing enactment for captives who were seized during the Hamas-led onslaught connected Israel, connected October 7, 2023 [Kai Pfaffenbach/Reuters]

Families of Israeli captives welcomed Netanyahu’s determination to dispatch the officials, with the Hostages and Missing Families Forum Headquarters describing it arsenic an “historic opportunity”.

‘Impossible to enactment alive’

As mediators hole for much ceasefire talks, Al Jazeera’s Hind Khoudary said that Palestinians nether onslaught successful Gaza were besides contending with terrible nutrient shortages, with Israel continuing to disregard United Nations demands connected lifting its restrictions connected supplies entering the Strip.

“We’re seeing children with bare pots each azygous time searching for assemblage kitchens, talking with families saying they are hardly capable to provender their children 1 repast per day,” said Khoudary, reporting from Deir el-Balah.

“It’s not lone the continuous aerial strikes, but besides malnutrition is sidesplitting Palestinians successful the Gaza Strip,” she said.

Palestinians stitchery to person assistance nutrient being distributed on the roadside astatine the Nuseirat exile campy successful the cardinal Gaza Strip, connected January 11, 2025 [Eyad Baba/AFP]

Vibe Klarup, caput of Amnesty Denmark, said that Israel was committing “genocide”.

“When we accidental Israel is committing genocide, it is not an opinion, it’s a decision connected the ground of a legal, thorough analysis,” she told The European Palestinian Network league successful Copenhagen.

“It is progressively intolerable to enactment live successful the Gaza Strip … Our relation arsenic radical is to halt the genocide,” she added.

At slightest 46,537 radical person been killed successful Israel’s warfare connected Gaza since October 7, 2023, according to Palestinian wellness authorities.